Wings of Fire: Libertatem
by Quarx-Rylzma
Summary: Spectro is sick and tired of living with Queen Dazzling and decides to run away. Constructive critism accepted. Cover by the original author; used with permission.
1. Prolouge

This fanfic is by Luckybird7765, from the Wings of Fire Fanon wiki.

Lightning cracked the night, and an ear-shattering roar of thunder followed. RainWings huddled in the canopy, enduring the icy rain and turning shades of gray and yellow with fright. Dragons flew with confusion and trees lit on fire with the strikes. They toppled, crushing monkeys, birds, and scavengers hiding on the forest floor. A large auburn RainWing flew with a small brown egg in her claws, evacuating the burning remains of her home. She knew that she would find safety in the queen Dazzling's palace, and flew that way. Another fork of lightning shot across the rainforest, missing her tail by a couple of feet. She shouted with fright, and dashed toward the large marble building in front of her. She crashed in, barreling across the pearly floor. She clutched the egg tight, and thankfully it did not break. She got up, checking the small brown sphere for cracks. She had one child, and she would keep it that way. She did not mind when it rolled slightly across the floor.

She was checking for singed scales or cuts on herself. She spent her time, making sure every one of her multicolored scales were just fine. She only looked back to see a dragon, careless and frightened, step on a brown egg. HER egg. She screamed, leaping for the dragon's foot, who had jumped back. She looked at the remains of her egg. Thankfully, it was very close to hatching and the baby was visible. But was it alive? She looked frantically at it, hissed at the dragon that stepped on it, but then saw the baby move. It's chest heaved, and it's paws moved weakly. Overjoyed, she cuddled it, her scales turning a warm pink and red. The baby blinked, and opened large, orange eyes. They looked at each other, but then the mother saw something very wrong.

His scales wouldn't work.

Normally a RainWing dragonet would immediately turn the same color as his or her mother, learning to use them, but this dragonet seems to only have his wing membranes working. The love turned to disgust. She looked at his dull grey scales, which did not change at all. She hissed under her breath, and turned. She flicked her tail across his face, the worst thing a mother dragon could do to her dragonet. It meant she was disowning him. He cocked his head, and looked at her. Then he cried for food. But the dragon, now a pale green and yellow, opened her wings and took off, leaving the dragonet. He cried for her, stumbling on his pudgy legs, but couldn't fly. He crawled around, mewling and whimpering for his mother, but no one noticed. He sat, and cried, small drops falling from his face. A shadow fell over him and he turned around. Another dragon, her scales encrusted with jewels and gold, stood before him. She picked him up, looking at him closely.

He cried for food.

The dragon lifted off, but this time with the dragonet. They flew up toward a room that was very shiny. The dragon gave him food.

The little RainWing stared at her, and accepted her.


	2. Chapter I: Four Years Later

Spectro scowled at the ground. It was morning, and the queen would wake up soon. He would have to wait on her to open the door of his room, and every day it was a little later. Spectro paced the length of his room. It was quite nice, with granite floor, a fireplace, a puffy bed, and very light and humid. But there was no window. The door was locked any time when he was here. It was more like a prison cell than a dream room. He ruffled his colorful wings, which unlike the rest of his scales, could be any color he wanted. The rest was a grey that all the other RainWings proclaimed "ugly." He looked at the wooden door, which was two inches thick, and waited for it to unlock with a click.

It clicked, and Spectro got to his feet.

The queen, Queen Dazzling strutted into the room, proud as a peacock. What ever a peacock is, Spectro thought. He had never been outside the palace of a million colors before, and has always wanted to. "Spectro," Dazzling drawled, looking down her nose at the small RainWing. "Come along," she flicked her tail, and walked out of the room. He followed because he had to, and the queen placed a belt of vine and pearls imported from the SeaWings around his neck. Spectro, weighed down by this heavy burden, was chained by another strand of pearls to the queen. He sighed, plodding along with the queen as she strolled down the long hallway. RainWings, dusting the tapestries with bird-of-paradise feathers waved to the queen, their gaze completely passing over Spectro as he struggled with the glistening chains. They reached a rich hall where breakfast was served, and Dazzling sat down in a lapis lazuli chair carved like a waterfall. Spectro sat down on a smaller stone chair next to hers. Emerald, orchid, and golden dragons swept into the hallway, carrying large platters filled with monkey, cooked bird, and beautiful fruits. Spectro took a mango, biting into the sweet yellow flesh. Dazzling beside him filled her plate with richly garnished birds, whole fruit cocktails, and parts of the wild horses that roam the forests. The queen was quite an eater, and had only ruled the land because she was the only daughter her parents had.

Parents... Spectro thought. He was told that his parents wanted to kill him because his scales wouldn't turn different colors, and that Queen Dazzling had benevolently taken him in. He wasn't sure that this was exactly what happened, but like it or not, Spectro is essentially in debt of her. He was her personal pet, having to do any thing she said. Dazzling finished wolfing down her huge breakfast, and got up. Spectro set his half-eaten peach on the table, and had to get up as well. She flicked her tail at him, and he gripped it, climbing onto the queen' back. She lifted off, carrying the small Rainwing with her and flew across the hallway. She jumped out the door, and banked toward the main entrance. Spectro peeked over her shoulder, and saw unusual dragons come in. They were large, much larger than even Queen Dazzling and looked like they could eat him for lunch. He shivered, and was rewarded with a slap from her wings. He looked again, and the Queen dropped to the ground. She walked over to them, and her tail curled around Spectro. He hung, bobbing from the end of her tail, and watched them closely. "What are MudWings doing in my palace?" Dazzling screeched.

They looked at her straight in the eyes. "We come, your majesty, with some news." One growled in a rumbly voice.

"And what is that?" Dazzling hissed, waving a now very dizzy Spectro around with her tail. "War." The second breathed.

Every one stopped.

Everyone was looking at the two Mudwings.

"Is it true?" The crowd muttered and did not move a muscle.

"The SandWing sisters are fighting for the throne, and has gotten all the tribes involved. Burn, Blister, and Blaze plan to rip this land apart for a scuffle for the queen's place." The first one called. "

You mean," Dazzling said quietly,"that Queen Oasis is dead?" The MudWings nodded solemnly and turned to leave. "Will you join us, the Skywings and the Mudwings, under Burn and win this fight with us?" They asked.

Dazzling thought about this. "No." She said at last. "

Be that may." The brown dragons spread their amber wings and flew off.

That meant that the country of Pyrrhia is at war again.


	3. Chapter II: Life in Custody

Spectro dropped from the queen's tail.

He shook his scales, got his bearings, and stood up. Dazzling stared out at the two brown smudges in the otherwise blue sky.

"War," she said matter-of-factly and turned sharply, briskly walking down the path and dragging Spectro with her. He bumped on the smooth floor, bruising his chin, and scrabbled to his claws. She growled under her breath and jumped into the air. Spectro barely had any time to grab ahold of her thrashing tail.

As soon as she lighted down on a platform across the way, she was mobbed by dragons trying to know what happened with the Mudwings. She brushed them aside and kept on going. Spectro knew why. It was her nap time and no one gets in her way of nap time. They passed his room and Dazzling pushed the door open. She gruffly took off his pearls and vines and shoved him into his prison. The door shut, hitting his tail.

He looked back, his orange eyes brimming with fury, but no one was there to receive his glare. Spectro huffed and lighted on his bed. He listened to the clicking of jewel covered talons down the hall. Then he got up, spread his wings, and flew up to a small chandelier. He took out a small apple that was hidden in a socket, then pulled out the real thing he was hiding.

A crystal, carefully carved out in the shape of a scavenger's claw, laid in his hand, and Spectro set to work. He set it on an indent in the door, and twisted the blade into it. Shavings fell out of the hole, and he collected them quickly. He dug deeper into the door. He was almost done with it, and felt the wax of the outer door curl over his claw. He jabbed it into the hole one last time, and felt the seal break.

All that time was worth it. He was able to unlock it any time he wanted to now. Spectro went about, preparing. He had bags of food stolen from the table, other larger crystals, some of the few precious scrolls that the Rainwings possessed, along with his favorite one. Queen Dazzling had ordered all of the copies to be burned, but he had one of the only ones left. It told about Rainwings, that could spit venom and blend into everything at will, strong brave dragons who were the ones that saved the Rainwings long ago from the scavengers at the Scorching. Then they suddenly disappeared after the war was done. The tribe split in half, one going missing, and the Rainwings today who are lazy, bright, and definitely do NOT spit venom. He was depressed by how they were, and wanted to seek out these dragons.

_If they are real_. Spectro sighed.

He was going to run away to somewhere that may or may not exist. The legendary valley of the mists might be a hoax; this story a lie. But it was better than nothing. Living as a disabled servant and pet of Dazzling is horrible. But maybe he should stay another night or two, to build up more food for the journey. Besides, the clicking of talons that meant the Queen was back. He clumsily shaped the wax back and swept the wood shavings under his bed. Dazzling opened the door.

"Come, Spectro, She snapped when he failed to scramble to his claws quick enough. He did not resist when she laid those heavy jewels over him. He would take it for just a little more. Just one more day. Just one more day.


	4. Chapter III: Escape from the Castle

Spectro endured the queen's treatment to him, instead thinking of of escape plans. Lunch came, and he appeared to be ravenous. He filled his plate with plenty of food, cacheing them in a small bag he hid under his wings. It was heavy and bulging by the time the meal was finished. The Queen walked proudly through the hallways, showing off her new sapphire covered frill by sweeping majestically toward every servant that went by. Spectro sighed internally at how vain Dazzling was. He was so glad that he was running away tonight.

The clock ticked slowly toward dinner time.

Spectro tapped his claws impatiently on the pearly floor as the queen listened to the poets drone how awesome and beautiful Queen Dazzling is, and was annoyed on how she ate it all up.

Dinner came. Lovely cooked meat covered in the nectar of the flowers growing. Savory vegetables grown and cultivated for the queen especially. Then dessert. The cocoa from the trees crushed into a sauce and drizzled over the fruit. It was luxurious. Spectro made sure to stuff himself so that he would do well for several days. He filled several flasks of water and piled them under his other wing. After this was done, there was the daily throwing of the colors, where servants throw down brightly scented and colored flowers to the queen. Spectro brushed off a petal from his shoulder and stood up when the queen, full and intoxicated from the sweet juice squeezed from the fruits, got up and unsteadily walked down the hallway back to his room. He was let in, and the unsteady echoing of the talons faded quickly.

The clock rang for midnight. Spectro's orange eyes glowed in the dim light. He flapped his wings open, wriggled his bags on, and made for the door. All the guards would be asleep. The queen wanted a patrol on all the time, day or night. But the lazy soldiers would retire just after Dazzling was asleep. Now was his chance. Spectro dug his claws into the indent, pulled out a glob of wax, and fit his hand through. It was just his size. He felt around for the latch and grabbed ahold of it. Now or never, he thought and pulled the door open.

It swung open quietly and he ran out quickly. Spectro flew down the hall way. His shadow barely flickered the wall. He changed his wings to the grey like the rest of his scales. Now her was invisible in the moonlight. He continued flying quickly and quietly down the hallway, and did his best to muffle the sound of his luggage. A sky entrance was just up ahead. He flitted to it. Freedom was so close! He beat one last time, and made it through the hole. But Spectro did not make it unscathed. A single peach stone, small but hard, fell out of an open bag.

It fell to the granite and clicked. Once.

Spectro hissed silently and took off.

He was far in the distance, but he swore he heard a roar of a Rainwing queen.


	5. Chapter IV: Day One in the Wilds

Spectro had thought about it all wrong. In his prison, the only thing you had to look out for was the chandelier. There was not much space or time to practice. Out here, he had even less time and a lot more space. He had to look out for everything. Don't fly too high, or his wings will freeze. Don't fly to low, or he would crash in the undergrowth. Don't fly into trees, don't fly in the wrong direction, and definitely do not fly into other dragons. The night ended, and Spectro's moon camoflage would do him no good. His wings started turning a green-blue, but he swallowed his fear and turned them a greenish grey. He lighted down in a patch of heavy grass and trees, and hid himself under some large bushes. It was plenty big for the little Rainwing dragonet. Spectro decided to save the food, because unlike Dazzling, he would save it for when he actually needed it. He curled up, ignoring the prickling of the bushes. It was so amazing, out here. The rainforest went on for miles and miles. He closed his eyes, and went straight to sleep.

He woke up to voices. Rainwing voices.

"The queen is furious about him. If we catch him-"

"Is the prize good? Do we get promotions and lots of her majesty's jewels?"

"Yes. I don't know why she is even looking for him. It isn't like he would be worth anything, the little misborn."

Spectro winced, but it was to quiet for them to hear.

"What would she even do to him after this if we find him?"

"When we find him! Think positive! I'm pretty sure she won't keep him as a pet any longer. Probably make him into a robe or something. And I heard that Burn gives fancy prices for misshapen dragons."

"Hmmm... I never liked him any way... To ugly."

"But those scales are strange..."

The voices died off as the dragons flew away. Spectro was stiff with fear. Dragons that actually did horrid crimes against her majesty were pinned up alive and turned to clothing for the queen. Now he was next on the list for the treatment. It was either that or become a piece of jewelry for a horrid Sandwing. More of a reason to get out of here as quickly as he could. But Spectro stayed put. Ill wait for night, he thought.

He wasn't able to sleep, so watched the sky for the afternoon. The sun, a brilliant ball of gold, slowly inched it's way past the sky. The blue was even more dazzling than any color that the Rainwings could make. This is where he was supposed to be. Not trapped in a cage. Not towed around as a little accessory of the queen. Spectro sighed with joy, despite his situation. He consulted his scroll. He was going to have to go north, through Mudwing, Skywing, and Swiftwing territory. Hopefully they will show mercy if he was found.


	6. Chapter V: Food Troubles

It was only three days later that he saw an end to the Rainwing jungle. In front of him, huge peaks soared. Snow capped lumps of rock stretched as high as the eye can see, and even in the darkness of the night, he could see the bursts of flames lick the tops of them. Skywings. Spectro had learned that they were fast, grumpy, and very dangerous. But most of what he learned were lies. Why wouldn't this be one? Maybe they were kind, and generous, and most of all could help him on his way north. But he never knew. They might be out to get him, there might be a bounty. So he continued in the shadows. Spectro did not hear much more about him for quite a few days.

Then his food ran out.

He did not mean it, it seemed like a lot yesterday. He helped himself to an extra apple a couple nights and poof! The bags were empty and horribly light. Even his flasks, which were full of clear glistening water yesterday were bone dry. He dipped those in a spring and refilled them easily. But food would prove to be harder.

Spectro tried leaves and grass, but spit them out quickly. He tried wild roots that proved a little easier to swallow, so washed those and put them in a bag. He found berries that tasted similar to the taste of a blackberry, though they were red. They were nice, and he put those in a reinforced small bag. But Spectro craved meat. He started digging pit traps, in hopes of catching a deer or something. He caught rabbits that he found just by accident. Then he checked his pit again. He found a faun with a broken leg whimpering at the bottom. Spectro looked at it, sad that he would have to kill and eat this creature. It would be worse if I let it go with that broken leg he thought to him self and cradled the soft tiny creature with his claws. Then he killed it.

Soon, however, even the sights of food got less and less as winter approached. On a good day, Spectro would find a doe or a ground ptarmigan that broke it's wing on the way down. Then he relied on squirrels that teased him in the trees, unaware that he had wings. Then all of it stopped, and Spectro left the area. He traveled steadily north, every so often meeting some kind of prey. The mountains stretched all around him now. But as the days went on, he got hungrier and hungrier. He resorted to even the leaves and underripe berries of the brown shrubs. He walked for days with a growling stomach, then came upon the most magnificent structure he had ever seen.

Queen Scarlet's palace.


	7. Chapter VI: Raid on the Palace

The castle was made of gold.

At least, with the rising sun shining at Spectro's back it was. The vast walls were smooth and carefully crafted. The pillars went up as high as some of the mountains. The dome that spread behind it was strange, but Spectro didn't give it much thought. There were dragons the shades of flame darting around the palace, shooting out extensions and pummeling at eachother with their whip-like tails and sharp claws.

Queen Scarlet's palace.

Spectro was absolutely amazed. And scared. He ran behind the nearby tree when a skywing's gaze passes over him. The minutes oozed by as Spectro waited, frightened, for the Skywing to react. It shrugged, and went back to work.

Spectro's stomach grumbled, and he got a totally insane idea.

Night fell, and Spectro snuck out of his hiding place. His wings turned the same grey his body was and he slunk up the tall wall. It was as if he disappeared into the rock. Spectro looked around, trying to find an entrance. When he found one, he jumped in and dashed down the hall. He stopped at a statue made of black marble, and marveled it. A tall, more than life-size Skywing sneered down her nose. Looks like Queen Dazzling. It might be Scarlet... He thought when he spotted rubies and diamonds indented in her stone wings and face. Spectro continued down the hall. He occasionally stopped at a door, looked in quickly, and continued down. His claws barely made a click on the hard floor. Long flowing tapestries hung down from the tall ceiling, casting shadows onto the young Rainwing running down the corridor. When he finally found his destination, he flung open the door. The rich smell of food washed over him. Spectro was staring into the storage room. A small sputtering torch in the corner lit up the space, illuminating the pile of food. Spectro leaped at it, his will giving in to the luxurious sight. He ate his way through a good bit of it before regaining sense. He filled his bags with a good amount of it and picked up a few more he made out of rabbit skin. Soon he was almost keeling over with the weight on his back. He continued to eat a little more, oblivious to the steady clicking of claws coming closer and closer. He only stopped gorging himself when he heard a small "Ahem." Spectro jumped, looking around guiltily. A small orange Skywing stood in the doorway, grinning wickedly. "Who are you, I may ask?" she asked cheerfully. Spectro swallowed nervousely. Of all the Skywings, it had to be the Queen.


	8. Chapter VII: Captured Again

Spectro regreted that. Why did he give in to his gluttony? He had wanted food, so stole some. Now he was held down by two dragons that looked like they really wanted to get back to bed. Queen Scarlet was paceing in front of her, and turned around toward him. "You're interesting, Rainwing. Not only were you able to sneak into my palace, but you seem to have some sort of disability." she put a claw under his chin, staring hard at him with lemon yellow eyes. "Who are you anyway?" She hissed. Spectro didn't answer, knowing that it would be extremely stupid. "You know," Scarlet continued after a moment,"You do look familiar... Didn't Queen Dazzling tell me about you?"

Spectro stiffened as she went on.

"I better send a messenger for you. We never know... But I could give you to Burn... She has a hobby of collecting dragons like you. It will be and amazing experience... At least for me!" She added cheerfully, her eyes full of want for the strange dragonet. "Or I could keep you myself... You would be horrible in the arena though." She paced and sat down on a throne literally made of gold. Scarlet waited a moment, sharpening her claws. "Kestrel!" She screeched after a while. A tired looking blood red dragon flew down to her throne. "Yes, your majesty!" She grunted. "I want you to bring this dragonet to the showing cage. He won't escape easily, and he will put on a nice display for a couple of days before Dazzling comes." The dragon nodded, and opened her huge wings. More guards put chains on Spectro and the Skywing, Kestrel, picked him up as easily as picking up a scavenger. Soon, they were far up above the surface. Spectro wriggled at first, but realized how stupid it was. Falling from this height will kill him even more than what Dazzling will do to him. Kestrel landed in a hallway not unlike the one he was found in. It was a feasting hall, but now it was empty. The skywing heaved him up and put him in an orient bird cage. It was small, and hung precariously from the ceiling. The bars were thin and close together, ruling out escape but allowing dragons to look in.

Spectro sighed inwardly as he was thrown in, and the chains were taken off him. He bat his wings, fluttering helplessly in the tiny space. His wings pulsed angry shades of flame and Spectro layed down. He folded his wings, tucked his tail, and went to sleep.

Later that night he was woken to hear a roaring crowd. It wasn't from the hall, but outside it in that earthen dome. Spectro could barely see over the wall, but he thought he saw a Sandwing and an Icewing fighting. They were pounding at eachother, using poison and ice breath to knock the other down. Queen Scarlet was watching smugly from a raised platform. Spectro shivered, thankful that he wasn't going to be in there. Then he remembered the threat, no, reality that Dazzling was coming to get him. The dragons suddenly gasped when the Icewing toppled and a.. Scavenger? Spectro tried to get a better look at it. It was colorful, and called out to the crowd. Then it escaped, to everyone's amazement. Spectro was surprised, and thought of how far the little creature would get. He then curled up, and tried to sleep.

Merely a hour later he was woken again by more shouting. This time, the Skywings, Mudwings, and few Sandwings were feasting in the area below him. A Skywing was jiggling the cage, trying to get Spectro to wake up. It looked at him curiously with red eyes. Spectro hissed at it, and it growled. It's whip like tail hit him, and Spectro roared with fury. The dragon was gone for a minute, then all the sudden a crowd of them were around him, poking and leering at him. "Go away," he said. "I want to sleep." They ignored him, calling up more and more of their friends. Shots of fire, pokes with barbed tails, and plenty more teasing filled Spectro's night. He eventually ignored them all, curling up with his claws over his ears, and his eyes shut tight. The shouting all round him slowly faded as dragons went to bed. Spectro finally went to sleep, the sound of the Icewing's screaming and the strange scavenger filling his dreams.


	9. Chapter VIII: In Dazzling's Claws

Dazzling is here.

She flew with a league of dragons, all different colors. They glided lazily across the sky, landing at the palace entrance. Queen Scarlet was busy to prepare. Plenty of food, palace cleaned, and Spectro chained up and by her side. A obsidian collar of sorts was fastened around his neck tightly. A short silver chain went out from there to Scarlet's claws. He struggled and pulled as the Skywing queen lead him to the main hall. Dazzling waited, robed in indigo scale garments. "Well you took long enough," Scarlet said to her.

"There was so much wind, it is a miracle we made it at all." The Rainwing drawled, voice dripping like honey into Spectro's ears. "Well then, off to business." Scarlet held up the silver chain with a rather annoyed Rainwing attached to the other end.

"Ah yes. Spectro." Dazzling's voice grew cold. She stared hard at him. On a normal day Spectro would have withered under that gaze. But today he stared back, orange eyes rebellious, daring, full of fury to the queen. He was angry at her, at Scarlet, at everyone from here to the Rainwing kingdom. He did not react when the chain was handed over for several large jewels. Dazzling yanked him, waved a multicolored wing to Scarlet, and walked down the path. She tied the chain extremely tight around her waist, and curled her tail around the small Rainwing captive. She took off, and within minutes was far away. The winds pushed her all the way there.

She was furious. As soon as they reached the castle, two large Rainwings pounced on him, tails curling threateningly around his neck.

"What were you thinking, Spectro you worthless pile of grey scales! Do you know how much I sacrificed to you?Everything!" She shouted in his face. Spectro stared coolly back at the raging Queen. "But now that you left, you disobeyed me! Me!" She shouted again, spraying spittle onto the Rainwing. "So now your going to get it. Descaled." She smiled wickedly at him. Spectro swallowed nervously.

Two dragons pinned him to a flat stone slab. Dazzling looked in for a moment, then told them what they needed him to do. "Make him purple. I was wanting purple scales for my room." She looked one last time at him with excitement, as if she was thinking of the lovely new curtains his wings will give her. Then she left, and the heavy stone door shut with a loud clang. The two Rainwings turned to him, their long claws outstretched. "Always knew you were going to end up in our claws, right?" One said, nudging the other.

"Yes, yes. The queen was always commenting on him and his... Usefulness after he was done with." They looked grimly at him with matching green eyes. Spectro thrashed and hit them with his tail, but the big Rainwings did not care. They took berry juice and traced the outline of his wing.

Spectro hissed and yowled under them. It was as if they had wax stuffed in their ears. One took him by the chin and said slowly and enunciated every word carefully, as if he was dumb. "Now we need you to turn purple, ok? Just a nice violet and then we will do it." He smiled too widely and tapped his nose, waiting for his wings to turn purple.

They didn't.

"I will say it again. Just purple. It can be any shade." He was starting to get annoyed.

They still didn't.

"Last time. Will you please-" All the sudden he stopped, because he noticed Spectro baring his teeth at him. "Stop it!" He said, and Spectro promptly spat on him. Except, when he spat it was black. This is not spit, he thought when the dragon howled, clutching his face. It burnt, giving off the smell of over cooked meat stuck to the bottom of a Mudwing's foot. In other words, it reeked. The other dragon, obviously not the sharpest claw on the foot, leaped at him. Spectro spat on him too, and the same thing happened. Venom. He concluded. He had venom. Like the dragons from his scroll. He was one of them. He was filled with such joy that he did not care when a guard came crashing through the door. He spat on him, watched him fall, and ran toward the window. Spectro jumped, crashing through it, and ran out the other side.

The last thing the first dragon saw was the sight of purple wings, waving teasingly at him.


	10. Chapter IX: Nightmares

Spectro flew several miles east, not caring where he was going. He had gotten over the feeling of euphoria, and it was replaced with guilt and dread. He had killed without caring. He had killed because those dragons were going to kill him, but he had killed them. Tears streaked down his face. What has he done? Now in every tribe he is able to be captured and killed. Now he was a killer. As soon a Dazzling finds the dead dragons she would flip. None of Pyrria was safe for him. So thats it, i'm a loner. he concluded, and saw the moon setting. He stopped, waving his wings slightly, and dove down. He noticed that the landscape was changing from the rain forest to a lighter, more tropical land. SeaWings, he thought and was slightly relieved to know that he was out of the territory of the Queen. Now he would have to answer to Coral. Just one day, then I will leave for north. He landed in a clump of shrubs and dug under them. The last silvery light of the night faded and the golden rays of the sun hit the bushes. Spectro was asleep long before the sun was up.

His sleep wasn't peaceful, however.

The forest was dark and cold. Spectro wandered through it, his wings flashing through different shades of scared green. He looked up, hearing rustling. Whatever was there disappeared, and the nightmare was quiet for a moment. He continued on. The screeches of the dragon he had killed echoed through his dreamscape, and Spectro looked around again. He listened for a moment... then heard it again.

Spectro turned over in his sleep.

He stepped carefully, his claws crunching on leaves. Extremely hard leaves. Spectro looked down, and to his horror saw that they were not leaves but scales. Spectro shook himself, trying to wake up. No such luck. The rusting started again, and Spectro searched for the source. It stopped, and Spectro stared at a bush where he thought it came from. A pair of eyes glowed in the dark, looking at him.

He hissed and clawed the ground and thrashed his tail against the bushes he buried himself under.

Spectro leaped at the dragon, and it fought back hard. He did not know why, but Spectro had a feeling that the dragon was an intruder. He clawed and hit it with his tail, but the dragon easily overpowered him. He laid on the ground with the dragon over him, staring at him hard with black eyes. But instead of beating him or anything, it just looked at him. Spectro felt like he was being scanned under it's gaze. To his amazement and astonishment, videos of things, his memories, flashed in his eyes. After a quick flurry of scenes, the dragon lifted his claws and turned. It spread it's wings. "Wait!" Spectro protested. The dragon was disappearing into the darkness, and he hurried after it.

Spectro hit his head on a rock and woke up, groaning.

He stumbled out of the shrub that he half-immersed himself into. A shuddering in the trees that did not look like the wind made it. A breeze can't have a purple tail hanging down, right? Spectro carefully approached the tree. The tail flicked, but did not disappear. He reached out a grey clay and touched it. The tail flicked again, but this time flicked at him since no dragons like their tails touched.

"Hey! Stop it!" A voice above him alerted him.

Spectro looked up.


	11. Chapter X: A Talk in the Forest

A Nightwing, about nine years old, stared at him with annoyance and pulled his tail up. "Stop it, you!" He said. Spectro backed away. The Nightwing decided to make conversation. "Who are you?" He asked the scared Rainwing.

There was no answer.

The Nightwing shrugged and went on. "You do know that you are out of The Rainwing kingdom, right?" He asked the frightened Rainwing. He vigorously nodded and the Nightwing continued. "Of course I know that your name is Spectro, and you are on the run, but why not have some talk in you? What's the matter? Scavenger got your tongue?" He stared at Spectro, who was astonished by this. How did he know? His powers... Or he knows the queen! He thought. The Nightwing was quiet for a moment, then said "I don't know the queen! Of all of them, she is the fattest, laziest one!" Nothing like our queen!"

Spectro stared at him for a second, then asked quietly, "are you reading my mind at this moment?"

The Nightwing scoffed. "Of course! How else would I know a friend from an enemy. And you are severely messed up. I don't know if you are either!"

Spectro wasn't sure what to say. Did he just insult me? "Well, who are you?" He asked him.

"That doesn't matter. What does is that you are very close to my camp." He closed his eyes for a minute, as if he was thinking deeply.

"Who are you?" Spectro asked again.

He turned his attention back to Spectro. "Well the real question is... Are you going to the valley of the mists? And if so, why are you here?" Spectro, learning that he could read his mind, was not stunned. "I'm just resting here for a night. Then I will leave. I want to head towards the valley of the mists, but the road is dangerous. I've already been caught by the Skywings, so all the tribes around them were informed about that. I'm not safe even here. If Coral catches me-"

The Nightwing cut him off. "You want safe passage as far as the northern corner of the Skywing territory?" Spectro was startled. He didn't even think of that. This Nightwing was smart. "If you can..."

The purple dragon nodded and waved his claw to the sea. "I have a friend that can help. I'll call him and he will be here by morning. He... owes me a favor."

Spectro nodded as the strange dragon took off. "Thank you..." He called, then quickly retreated to the den he had dug out.

Morning came, but the 'friend' did not. Spectro did not mind. He went out to the shore and stepped into the water. It was pleasantly cool and refreshing. Spectro washed himself clean of dirt, twigs, and blood. He stepped out of the water and the sunlight bounced off his scales. He layed on the beach, letting the warmth that he had so long wanted to heat his very bones. Suddenly there was a splash behind him. "Hey!" A dark blue Seawing emerged from the water. "Who are you, and why are you on the Queen's beach!" He growled, then whispered under his breath, "oh boy, my first battle with an intruder!" He scowled again at Spectro again and said "I will pluck every scale off your multicolored back, you lazy Rainwing!" He stomped the ground to emphasize his point.

"Enough, Torrent." A stern voice behind them spoke up.

Torrent turned around and moaned. "Can't I fight someone who isn't worried about picking sand out of their webs?" He turned back to Spectro, and growled one more time. "This will end soon," he murmured close to the Rainwing's ear. Then the blue dragon dove into the ocean and was lost in the murky water.

"Sorry about that. Torrent is always wanting to do something that he thinks the queen Coral would like him to do." Another blue dragon, this one a lighter shade, stepped onto the sand. "My name is Shell, and I will be your escort today," he said.


	12. Chapter XI: On the Waves

A storm was brewing. Waves of rain hit over Spectro, and he grimaced. Shell acted like nothing was wrong. He swam strongly over the tumbling tides, keeping good pace with the small dragon tumbling through the air. An island was up ahead, and he rested briefly on the sand. The Seawing glided smoothly on the shore, his gills flapping. "Come on. Don't you want to reach the end by morning?" He urged.

Spectro struggled to his claws. "Why is the winds so strong?" He moaned slightly.

"Ride on my back," Shell insisted and showed his wide, burly back. Spectro obliged, scrambling on the smooth, hard scales. It was impossible to find a ridge in the darkness. Eventually, he found a spot between the blue dragon's wings. Shell lifted easily, and jumped back into the turbulent waves. Spectro was surprised how smoothly they traveled. The clouds, swirling and sparking, let it's bounty loose on the poor duo. Even Shell, whose light strips and night-vision eyes allowed him to see better, was having a hard time in this storm. "Usually," his voice whipped away into the wind, " all of the Seawings would be in the deep palace. I was only out because I heard that Torrent found someone." Spectro, shivering and miserable, crouched below the larger dragon's head and shielded himself with his wings. When they reached another island, both of them passed out under the trees.

Spectro woke to the seagulls. One was perched over his head. It let out an ugly Caaarrk! and pecked at the Rainwing's head. Spectro looked at it, and within two minutes was picking feathers out of his teeth. He stumbled out to the beach, surprised on how bright it was. He almost bumped into a sapphire dragon. Shell was waiting for him. "Good morning," he said breezily, looking out at the horizon. The water was shimmering with early morning fish. The Seawing opened his wings, and stared down at the tiny Rainwing. "The weather's much better today, so lets go now." He took off, heaving his heavier body through the air. Spectro batted his wings vigorously and flew beside him. The air, cool and moist, had a slight breeze that pushed them along. It was perfect today. Spectro glided over the sea, occasionally catching a small fish that jumped into his claws. His wings tipped the water and a jet of sea foam washed over him. Spectro had never felt more alive. He flew up, catching the clouds and watching it disappear, and dove back down. He jumped on top of the water and burst through small waves. Kel watched him with curiosity. "Come on," he said when Spectro had had enough. "It's only a couple of miles left."

They reached the main land in just an hour. The mountains arched up suddenly and Spectro felt slightly sick. They were back. Shell promised to see him to the land, but suddenly dissapered after they reached it. Spectro was alone again. He looked around, and thankfully there were no dragons. Now he was close enough. Better not get caught, Spectro, he thought.


	13. Chapter XII: The Dragonet

Spectro heard a rustling in the grass. He sprang towards a tree, hoping to get away. A large Skywing dragonet stumbled out, snorting at bushes and scraping up dirt. He looked annoyed, judging from the cross look on his face. The dragonet sat on a stump, just a few feet from a hiding Rainwing. He had managed to cling to the tree with his tail, and now he was a full grey. Thankfully the tree was as well and Spectro was perfectly hidden. "Why do I have to be the forgotten one?" He muttered, kicking up dust. Spectro stared at him, his eyes glowing like amber. This dragonet, shining orange like his eyes, seemed... Different. His wings especially. They were smaller than a normal Skywing's. They also seemed lighter and sharper than one's. he also seemed cooler than a normal dragon. It was as if he had a cooler fire.

Spectro ducked suddenly when a jet of fire hit the tree above him. It went out quickly when the dragon bat his wings at it. "Well... I'll show them! I'm just as important as my loser brother Jetstream!" He whipped his tail around angrily. It was long and powerful, like a Seawing's, and it hit Spectro's tree. He scrabbled the trunk briefly but he fell. His wings turned a frightened yellow and he caught the only thing on hand: the dragonet's tail.

The orange dragon yelped as Spectro's prickly claws held onto the end. It swung around, holding the Rainwing in front of the angry Skywing. It looked suddenly curious. "Are you a Rainwing?" He asked.

"Umm..." Spectro trailed off awkwardly under the dragonet's gaze, "Yeah..." The Skywing's voice grew cold.

"You're here from my brother, right? You came to see me because he never would. I bet you guys are best friends, because I never had one!" He shook the tail a couple of times, dislodging the confused little Rainwing.

"Wha-" he said, hitting his snout on the ground. "First off, I don't know your brother. Why would you think I would know?" He said to him after recovering.

The dragonet looked at him real close. "I know that you know him because the last time he sent a Rainwing to visit me, he had orange eyes. True, his scales were different, but you can change, can't you?"

Spectro felt the heat of fury build up again. "No. I can't. And I don't like it when dragons go and attack me for no reason. Now go away before I have to attack you," he said, looking straight in the dragonet's eyes. The orange dragon backed away, sensing danger. Good. At least he's a smart one. He thought. "I am just going north, to find the valley of the mists. I am no danger to you if you don't antagonize me." He began to stalk off through the grass when he stopped. "You say that your brother ran away with the Rainwings. Why don't you too if you feel so hard done by." The orange dragonet stared at him with wonder and excitement from what he just said. Spectro continued talking, walking off into the distance. "Believe me, my life is worse.."

Spectro only looked around when the sound of wings reached his ears. The dragonet was in the air, heading south. Spectro smiled. At least he had no problem in the kingdom of rain.


	14. Chapter XIII: Valle Nebulae

Just as the sun was rising, Spectro felt it. The air, dry and cold from the mountain winds, was getting moister and warmer. The land was flatter and trees were more plentiful. He kept a look out for that dragonet. There was no sign of him so he relaxed slightly. Spectro continued forward, looking at the sky. Im near, I can feel it! He thought, his wings batting anxiously. He longed to fly in the air, but if there was one place you never wanted to be in when you are in the Skywing kingdom, that was up high. You could be knocked down and gagged before you had time to blink. He walked softly across the ground, the dirt faring better on his feet than the hard rock or marble of the mounains. It was only a day's journey now. Streams of gold sparks danced across his pale rose wings. He could feel it. The warm currants of air and water were creating mist and fog. He sneezed slightly when he encountered it. But he continued on, now flitting off the ground occasionally. The hills seemed to get higher though, and Spectro had to fly up some especially high ones. He kept on going up and up, the ground steeper and trees less apparent. Suddenly, it went down. Spectro stopped, looking down at the valley in front of him. By chance, he had run into it. Now the entire Valley of the mists, the Valle Nebulae, stretched out below him. It's real! He though and his whole wings flushed a deep and sparkling gold. He looked for a long time at the surroundings. Many waterfalls, spewing the mist, bordered the valley. He could spot, if he looked hard enough, dragons of different colors working down t the bottom. He smiled. Spectro made it. He was here. Now Dazzling couldn't hurt him. He was so jubilant, he almost did not hear a voice behind him say "Hey!"

Spectro looked behind him, then above him.

A dragon, with red lightning bolts crackling through his ruff, was staring at him. He was at least twice his size. His claws were long and curved, his tail even more so. His orange eyes, almost the same as Spectro's, glared at him suspiciously. "Who are you?" He said to the small dragon.

"I- ah- I am- um-" Spectro stuttered. The dragon impatiently tapped his claws against a tree. "I am Spectro... I come from the Rainwings," he managed.

"Well I knew that you were a Rainwing, I'm not that stupid!" The dragon said, rolling his eyes. "I'm Cerulean." He said. "We welcome Rainwings, but you'll have to see our queen." He looked down at the valley. "It isn't as if you were a spy. The southerners couldn't do anything anyway." He shrugged, and flicked his tail at Spectro. "Come on, I'll bring you."

On the way they stopped in a small collection of houses. Unlike the southern Rainwings they were built on the ground. Dragonets bounced across the paths, chasing each other. Spectro could see into the houses. They were not very colorful, but they had a certain charm to them that the palace he had lived in his whole life could never have. He continued down the path, following the big blue dragon that was heading towards the queen. He sniffed the air, glad to smell the familiar wet smell of rain. Not the salty, cold smell of sea storm, but a warm, humid kind of wetness. They turned down the and Arden held up his tail. Stop, he thought and stopped. They had reached the end of the path, and a rather grand wood carven building stood in front of them. "Well," Cerulean said to Spectro, "here we are."


	15. Chapter XIV: A Night in the Castle

The queen wasn't here. She was out doing errands or something, so Spectro had to stay the night. He did not mind, but he was wondering where he would be put.

Thankfully it was a nice place. A small, cozy room with vines stringing across the top was where he slept. He crashed on the bed, thanked the Rainwing that brought him here, and fell straight to sleep.

He dreamed. It was an especially nice day in the palace. He was actually happy to get up for once. Spectro was one, only a tiny dragonet, yet he already dreaded getting up. But the light, when he was brought outside, was warm and gold. He did not have a harness, instead just held by the queen. He was small for his age, being only three fourths the height and width of a normal one year old dragonet. He was brought out to the main hall way. There he saw her. She was about his age, maybe a little older. She was, of course, bigger than him. But it was the first dragonet close to his age he had seen. Her name was Peacock. She spotted him as well, and smiled slightly. He smiled back. Then he was toted along, into the dining hall.

He saw her again later. It was one of the few times he was untethered and outside his room. The queen, taking a nap in the opal room with the door firmly locked, had let him go to roam around the small steamy room. The small dragonet sat on the luminescent rocks. Then he noticed her. She was in the room, somehow. And he hadn't noticed. Must have been her scales he though and walked up to meet her. "Hi..." He said.

"Hi. My name's Peacock." She said, rather matter-of-fact.

"I'm Spectro..." He said, watching a wreath of golden scales form around her neck. Wish I could do that, he though, trying for the thousandth time make his scales change. If I could, then my mother would not have abandoned me.

"Hi Spectro! What is it like to be the pampered pet of the Queen?" She asked curiously. Spectro groaned inwardly.

"What is it like to be able to be out of the palace of a million colors?" He asked back. "It's alright... I guess..." She sighed. Her scales turned millions of colors. Small pink sparks flew across Spectro's wings. He tried to squash them, but more came. His wings turned different colors, shifting from blue to purple to red. "Can I ask you a question? Or would it hurt your feelings?" She asked softly. Spectro nodded and so she said, "would you ever want to leave the palace, just for a night?" Her tail turned a purple. Spectro nodded vigorously at the question. "Then lets find you a way to leave! It will be fun!" Just then, the queen woke up. She was a cool grey, but her frill had a hint of flame. She picked up the young dragonet, and left the opal room.

He had stayed in his room for a couple of hours when she suddenly came back. He jumped to his feet, but she put her hand out to stop him. She closed the door, and stepped into the center of the room. "I saw you with your friend, Peacock." She said mournfully. "And I have some very bad news. She was out in the forest..." She stopped and gasped, as if she was holding back tears. "I'm afraid that she was caught by a jaguar. She's dead now..." Dazzling trailed off, looking at the shocked dragonet's face. He bawled. Why? When they were so close to a good friendship, she had to die!

Tears leaked out of his eyes as he tossed in his bed.

He stopped crying long enough to look at Dazzling for a minute. Then his memories split from his dream. He saw it clearly. A scarf, gold, was around her neck. It looked like it was made of a dragonet's scales. He looked at it briefly, then his eyes blazed in fury. He had seen that scarf. She wore it every day. Even when he got older, he had seen it. Then she made him wear some of her scale robes, and that was one of them.

He howled, and woke up. Dripping with cold sweat, in the darkness, his orange eyes glowed with tears and hate. Now he knew what he must do.


	16. Chapter XV: Queen Flash

Spectro flew quickly down the paths, searching for the queen's room. It was morning, and Cerulean told him that she was ready. He also assured him that he was nothing like Dazzling. Spectro found an oaken door that had QUEEN engraved in it. He knocked, and a quiet voice said "come in..." He stepped in.

A elegant dragon was inside, writing on scrolls. She looked up, and Spectro was frightened how similar she and Dazzling were. The horns, the frill, the shape of the eyes. It was as if they were sisters, or at least cousins. "Queen Flash," Spectro said, and bowed.

Flash waved her talons at him. "Get up. I hate when dragons do that. Sit down and talk." Spectro stumbled up and sat down on a seat that was carved out of wood. "Now... I hear you came from the southern kingdom, correct?" She said softly to the little Rainwing.

"Yes, I was a pet to Dazzling."

Flash nodded and continued writing. "You must have been so determined to get here to live this long," she observed. Flash looked into his orange eyes.

He felt like he was being scanned by her. He inched away, and said, "I heard of this place, and I needed to find you." He stopped, and a tear started welling up in his eyes. "I need to stop her. She's horrible,"

Flash nodded again, dipping her claw in the ink well. She finally turned. "What do you propose we should do?" Spectro was startled. He had expected her to know. "I want her to not be queen." He said simply.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. A Rainwing dissolved out of thin air. "Flash," she said, "there is important news!"

Flash looked urgently at her. "What is it?" She asked. "It's- it's the Skywings, and the Mudwings... They are with the Rainwings.. It must be a temporary alliance, but it seems strange." She stopped talking, out of breath.

Flash looked at her, red crawling across her tranquil blue scales. She suddenly turned to Spectro. "They are looking for you then, there is no other reason. We must go now. Dazzling is planning something, and it could mess the war up even more."

Spectro, bewildered, nodded.

They rushed out, and Flash flapped her wings to the hallway full of dragons. The wings turned a maroon, and all the dragons stopped. Spectro felt an icy blue creep through his wings. "Everyone, gather the troops. Come to field section three-alpha." Flash barked orders to the crowd, and they all rushed out. None of them had armor, or weapons. But if all of them had venom, then they were extremely well armed. Spectro hurried out with them, seeing them turn different colors. "Red!" Flash shouted and a red group of dragons appeared before her.

"Yes?" The leader, a small dragon with a gold frill, said.

"You need to take your troops first and check the situation," she insisted. The red dragon nodded, and with a flick of a tail they all dissapered. Spectro looked at them for a minute, then was hurried along with Flash. Every so often she called out for another troop to leave.

Spectro whispered to her, "What about me?"

Flash looked long and hard at him. "You will be in my troop. We need a lot of dragons around you to hide your grey scales." She nodded, and continued with her orders. Her scales were turning white, and Spectro wasn't sure it was from worry, shock, or her troop color was white. Finally, the number of colors dwindled, and Flash's troop was ready to fly. A group of large dragons, all white like Flash, grouped around him and stretched their wings. Spectro's wings turned white, and he mimicked them. They launched into the air, beating wings all around Spectro. Then the dragons rippled and dissapered. The only thing he could see was the back of Flash's head, which she turned purple for his safety.

They flew through the air quickly and the sky kingdom passed under their claws. Then the wet marshes of the Mudwings, where they could see burly brown dragons practicing in the bogs. Then finally, when Spectro was so tired he could barely beat his wings, the hints of the kingdom of rain reached them. Green, in the horizon of brown and grey, sparkled with dew. They were back, and hopefully for the last time.


	17. Chapter XVI: First Glance

Spectro looked out at the forest. All was quiet, but very soon there would be turmoil. Two hundred dragons, crouching down in the bushes. They waited for the signal, a small squawk from Flash, to move forward. A plump, purple Rainwing was lying on a rock, humming a strange song. Spectro looked at her from behind a wing, then turned back to Flash. "Will we get rid of her?" He hissed. Flash nodded and stared to the south. A blast of fire suddenly erupted from the horizon.

A lone squawk hit the humid air.

Two hundred blurred shrubs, rocks, and dirt clots moved through the forest, quickly changing to fit the surrounding.

Spectro jumped forward with them, watching the troops run over the earth, climb up trees and easily overcome the poor frightened Rainwing. She fell, shrieking briefly but got cut off. He looked back, and saw her knocked out. Not dead. He continued. They all took into the air. Spectro looked down, wondering if there was any more. A large lumbering dragon was bumping into trees and cursing. Flash looked to a dragon next to her and he spiraled off. The dragon shot down, sinking it's claws into the dragon's neck. It hissed, but he spat venom on it. The Mudwing fell to the ground, and the Rainwing flew back to formation. Whenever they met a Skywing or Mudwing, a dragon flew down and killed it. Finally, more Rainwings came. The dragons quickly knocked them out and dragged them aside. Then the walls of the palace arched up. "We're here," Flash muttered.

The Rainwings scuttled up the walls, turning greys and whites. Spectro, glad to do something without having to be followed, climbed the slick sides easily. Flash reached the top, and looked down with wide eyes. Spectro's got even wider.

An entire army of Mudwings and Skywings were prowling around the courtyard. They were all fully armed and fire was coming out of both tribes. It was as if they were waiting for them. Or preparing to come after us, he thought and shuddered. Flash hid him behind her wings before any of the Mudwings could notice bright red splotches hovering midair.

Then a small orange Skywing rose up and said to the crowd, "today we will rid of those nuisances! First, we will attack this magical so-called valley of the mists, then we will destroy the Rainwings, once and for all!" Scarlet looked at a large Mudwing that was shifting uncomfortably. " I promise half the jewels to you and the Queen, Adamant," she muttered to him. Spectro's entire wings were red, now turning black with hate. They were prepared to work for them, then turn around and destroy them?

"Can we go now?" He whispered to Flash. Flash shook her head and put up one claw. Wait, he thought. The army's below continued talking and eating. Flash held up a closed fist. Move, he thought and followed the dragons. They dove down into the heart of the crowd, and instantly there was pandemonium.

Mudwings ran every which way and Skywings batted their huge wings, flying into the air. "Stand your ground!" Scarlet screeched and dove at them. The crowd halted, and spun around at the Rainwings. They attacked.


	18. Chapter XVII: A Meeting with the Queen

Spectro weaves through the crowd, barely missing dragon's claws. He landed on the ground, and darted through fights. Just her, he thought, searching hard. He was looking for Dazzling, and she was in for a lot. He broke into the palace, the halls strangely empty. He ran down, the marble clicking under his claws and he took into the air. Spectro ran his claws down the tapestries and felt them rip easily. He landed on a platform that he knew better than his own claws. The door was chipped and a hole was drilled through. His room. Spectro opened the door. The room was gaunt and hollow. The chandelier was off and the closets were closed. But he looked down at a small corner he used to hide in. A dragon, red and white with fear, was splayed out on the tile beside it. It died clawing it's throat, and marks were on his scales. He looked strangled. Queen Dazzling must have taken her anger out on him, Spectro thought, his rage refueled. He left the room with the dragon and ran further down the hall. Empty rooms were checked, and Spectro got more and more worried that she already had gone outside. But that was not the Dazzling he knew. He finally reached a room that he stopped in. Warm lights and a hot crackling fire made the room seem cozy. On pillows, beautiful pale rose eggs were sitting, motionless. This is the hatchery, he thought and knew what to do. He walked up to an egg. It was the largest of them all. He picked it up, and put it aside. This was the one he would keep. Now for the others... He took on of the later ones, nearly ready to hatch. A pulsing yellow glow emitted from inside. Sorry, he thought and placed the egg in the fire. It caved in, and the dragonet, using barely formed vocal cords, screamed. It died quickly, and Spectro stared back at the others with a heavy heart. I won't do that to the rest,he thought of the burnt remains of the first one. He pressed his talons on the next one, leaned down, and the egg cracked. The dragonet was dead now. He tossed the rest out the window. He could not bear to look down at the shattered remains of what was once life. Spectro picked up a reinforced back and put the egg in. This was the last remaining heir. Spectro ran down the hall, his eyes tearing up about what he just did. But it was part of the plan, Flash had said. Now it was the final step. Spectro flew out of the hallway. What he wanted wasn't here. Now he wanted a talk.

Spectro dodged dragons flying through the air, screeching or blowing fire. He landed in an extravagant corridor.

Here I am, he thought and walked up to the only room in this hall. It was ten feet high and made of solid gold. Spectro pushed it, and the door swung open easily.

The room inside was huge. The bed, the ceiling, the food bar. Spectro stared around, frightened that this was only the first time he was in this room. Dazzling's room. He looked around casually, checking the floor, the bar, and the bed. He looked in the many rooms spiraling off it. A room with cloth made of scale. A room with large stones warmed by coals. A room with diamonds and rubies and a great mirror. A room with birds the color of the rainbow fluttering and chattering.

Finally, a room with a great bath, water dripping from branches and hitting pieces of copper with pings. Spectro looked around in here, and to his utmost surprise Queen Dazzling was there, behind a waterfall in one of the exquisite baths.

"Oh, it's you," she said, bored. She climbed out of the bath and looked at him, annoyed.

"You do know how annoying it is for me to have a war go on right outside my room. It's bad for my scales." She drawled. "And speaking of health, look at you, you disgusting little dragon!" She suddenly sleazed his chin, staring at him hard. "You know you can't stop me," she hissed, spitting on his snout. Spectro wriggled away and clawed her side. She stopped, and looked at the nick he made.

"Oh, dear. I guess I better fix that." She washed her scales, and after they were right again, she dashed. Spectro was surprised, and so she got away.

He flew out fast, following the sound of claws. It lead into another room. The scale room. He stopped. Dazzling was rustling around in there, assumably getting her robes on. She emerged with an indigo horn drape, a gold scarf, and an emerald-green body robe. It barely covered her belly, which bulged even farther than before he had left.

"Now that I'm dressed, we can talk." Dazzling said cheerfully. She swept over to the bar, picking up fruit and putting it on a plate. She turned to Spectro. "Now tell me why you came back. Let me guess, revenge?" She cooed and munched on a pineapple. Spectro growled at her, and flew into the air.

"I came for you, Dazzling. I came to stop your rule. I came to kill you and your legacy. I also came to avenge my friend." He shouted at her. Dazzling stared coolly into his orange eyes.

"You know you can't kill me. And it took you long enough to find out about your friend. What was her name? Chickpea?"

Spectro snarled, "Peacock! Her name was Peacock! And I know you killed her because you have her right now!" He stared at the golden scarf. Dazzling looked down at it, and took it off. "Oh you mean this thing? Yes, I've had it for a while. Kind of old now, better get a better one." She stared back at Spectro. "You want to fight? Well then," she suddenly lunged for him, and her tail curled around his body. Spectro, stunned and pinned down, hissed and prepared for venom. Dazzling's claws closed around his snout and held it close. "I saw what you did to my guards, you know," she smiled wickedly and carried him to a window. Her tail tightened around his body. She grasped a band and tied it around his mouth, freeing up her hands. She held him up with her tail, his body squeezed by the tension. "You know, your wings were always the strangest thing about you. Lets see what happens when you have to do without," her tail tightened, then loosened quickly. Spectro gasped for breath for a second before her grasp was on his wings. She pinned them, and coiled her tail like a constricting python. It got tighter and tighter. Then all the sudden bones began to break. Spectro gasped with pain and thrashed, but Dazzling held on. His wings broke, and Dazzling let go. He fell to the ground. Dazzling picked him up and opened the window. "Good bye, Spectro," she said and let go.

He fell. It was like flying, except his wings wouldn't work. Numb with pain and shock, he imagined hitting the ground and shattering, like his wings. He blacked out with the last sight a white dragon catching him.


	19. Chapter XVIII: The Last Death

Spectro got up, his head and vision fuzzy. A blurry dragon was in front of him, staring at him with green and blue eyes. "Wake up, Spectro," the dragon said.

He was shocked. "Who are you, what's your name?" He asked.

"Don't you remember? I'm Peacock," the dragon replied smoothly. Spectro stared, then ran forward to embrace her.

"Peacock..." He muttered through tears.

"Don't worry, the worst is over. I just came to tell you, you are not dead yet. Just close. You will wake soon." Peacock soothed. Her scales turned a gold that sparkled like the sun. Spectro closed his eyes, wondering if this was true or not. He opened them, and Peacock said, "you need to go in a little bit. Just let me remind you something. Those wings are special. The scales will still work, but you won't fly." He looked at his wings, which were whole and straight. But this was a dream world. Peacock started to fade. "Good bye, Spectro. I'm looking forward to meeting you again," she whispered and the world disappeared.

Spectro opened his eyes, blinking at the painful light of the sun. Flash, red and white with fright, suddenly melted into a pink. Cerulean, likewise, relaxed into a lavender. "Three moons, Spectro! You gave us a fright," she smiled. Spectro tried to get up, but failed. "It's alright, you don't have to get up," Flash eased him down again. "The battle is over. The Queen is captive. I've been waiting for you until we can rid of her. I saw the egg. Thank the moons that egg made it out unscathed." Spectro shook his head, and the world went spinning.

He suddenly remembered his talk with Peacock. "My wings..." He muttered and looked back. They were completely encased in vines and mud. "Don't worry, we are trying to fix them, they looked pretty bad," Flash tried to say.

Spectro shook his head. "They will never heal," he whimpered and touched the cast they were trapped in.

She looked at him with surprise. "You think they won't?" She asked.

"I'm positive. Now lets see Dazzling," Spectro lurched out the room with Cerulean ready to support the little dragon.

Dazzling was out in the hall, tied in chains. She was strangely calm for someone about to be executed. Spectro looked at her with hate. Now was the last kill. He would never have to again. Flash held up a claw for him to wait and watched as rows of seats above were filled by Rainwings, most in a mournful black or grey. A couple dragons, the ones that came with Flash, were barely squashing sparks of gold or green. Dazzling looked at him with amusement. When he came forward, she hissed, "is this what you want, hero? Me killed? Well all you are going to get is hundreds of dragons out to get you. Don't think this is over." She smirked as Spectro was pulled back again. His tail thrashed, and his orange eyes blazed like fire.

"When?" He asked Flash.

"Soon. Patience," she stopped him. Dazzling was pulsing a green and yellow with disgust. Spectro waited as Flash gave a speech of the bad things she has done, and the reason they will execute her. An hour went by, and He was tapping his talons on the floor, bored. Finally, the time came.

He stood, walking toward Queen Flash. "Just venom. Use the venom." She hissed in his ear. He nodded and approached Dazzling.

"Who is this for? Peacock? Well it won't change a bit, she is still dead." She taunted. Spectro stayed silent as she continued talking. "And you. Are you any better than me? You murder. You crush eggs. You are heartless." She spat. The dragons stared at her for a while as she continued. "No, one day my daughter will come back and kill you all. And me. I will come back. I will kill you and your family!" She was mad now.

"I'm sorry, Dazzling. But you don't belong here any more." Spectro said softly and spat.

Dazzling writhed and fell.

The dragons screamed. Spectro looked with a neutral gaze._ The last death..._ He thought. _The last death..._


	20. Chapter XIX: Quiet Recovery

Spectro stared out the window, contemplating. The medics were shocked how right he was about his wings. They never fixed themselves, and he was landlocked. Spectro beat them uselessly, but the torn membranes and crushed bone would not support flight. He was trapped on the ground. Spectro did not mind too much; he could live like this. But until Flash came back, he had to stay in the palace of a million colors. He wandered the halls. The new queen, the last heir of the throne was the egg he had spared. She was named Dazzling, to Spectro's disgust. But it was a tradition, and the egg was to be the fourth Dazzling. He heard that in just a few days it would hatch, but by then he hoped to be gone.

He wandered, his claws clicking quietly on the smooth marble.

The singes and ashes of burnt furniture, tapestries, and dragons scattered the floor. The maids were quickly sweeping them away with long peacock feathers, scattering them outside. He turned, and walked down a thinner hall. It lead outside. He opened the door, and felt the fresh air tingle his scales. Spectro walked across the earth, seeing small flowers unfolding and birds chattering in the trees. He reached a wall. The Dazzling memorial. It was made of stained glass and had many mounds around it. The casualties. The glass showed Dazzling, crouching over hundreds of dragons and hissing. It was very melodramatic, but fit. He walked some more, and saw windows with more pictures. Three armies, clawing at each other. Queen Flash fighting Adamant, the Mudwing king. Dazzling executed. Spectro falling from the tower, his wings crumbled. Spectro admired how accurate they made the pictures. He continued walking. Night was coming soon, so he would have to go to bed. He looked out at the horizon, spotting the mountains and sands of the Sandwing and Skywing kingdom. He headed back in.

The next morning he wasn't surprised when a young Rainwing came to tell him that Flash is late because of injuries. She would come in a month.

He did not care.

He could wait the month.


	21. Epilouge: The Emerald Egg

Spectro had learned to contend with his disabilities. He developed ways of jumping through trees rather than fly around them. He learned how to finely control the few colorful scales he had to form shapes and characters. He lived in both the north and south kingdoms, keeping his orange eyes on both of them. Every so often he would move to the other, as that was his job.

Spectro stared out the window. It was raining hard over the Southern kingdom, and he had to guess the hurricanes of the Seawings had to have been redirected to nearby here. He sighed, wishing he could do something useful. The palace of a million colors had been repaired so well, that not a single mark of violence or the tyrant queen that lead them to battle remained. He was glad that the rainwing kingdoms were settling down finally. So many years had they been on edge when he came, accusing him of murder and pushing him around. He endured this, knowing that it would all die down sooner or later. It was many years, too many to count, since the battle that tore this land to pieces. But everyone helped out, and the beauty was restored. Now, all he needed was something different than the normal schedule.

That night, everything changed.

He went through, really forced to, a breeding program by the orders of the new queen. She was still young, but she knew the customs that a rainwing must do. He was paired with a sharp tongued, green eyed dragon that looked at him like he was sea scum from the bottom of a seawing's foot. He shivered. A few weeks later the egg was produced, and the Rainwing promptly abandoned it.

But Spectro wanted to see the egg. At least once.

He searched for miles, upturning every log, knocking over delicate stacks of sticks, and stumbling through leaf piles. He looked for days, trying to find the special egg.

Finally he found it.

It was in a clearing, illuminated by the sun which usually hazily lit the undergrowth but here it was almost harsh. Quietly sitting there, the pale purple egg was as glossy as a pearl. He walked to it slowly, his breath barely stirring the air. Then he picked it up. As soon as his claws touched it, it flushed a vibrant and shiny green, like an emerald. He was captivated by it. How can a dragonet that young be able to change it's egg color? He set it down, and the bottom turned a rose red. His wings turned the same color, and sparks of gold were hopping about. His egg... It was more beautiful than the entire palace of a million colors. Spectro set it into the sunlight, watching it soak it up and turn the pale purple again. He hated to leave it, but soon he had to. "I'll be back soon," he whispered to the colorful sphere. He left it, longing very badly to spend the entire year it takes to hatch with it.

He visited it every day, looking at it, holding it lovingly, and whispering to it quietly. Months went by, and he would observe how it would change with the weather. When rain fell on it, it would be spotted with blue wherever a drop hit. When it was cloudy, the egg would turn a pale yellow, as if it was trying to replicate the sun. When it was night, it would turn a black with spots of silver, like the underside of a Nightwing's wing.

The day was coming fast.

He asked around, wondering what he should do. Rainwings scoffed at him, exclaiming that he was "a male," and he should "not care at all about eggs." Spectro sighed, and decided that he should just let it do as all eggs do. He didn't need guidance.

Soon, that night came.

Spectro felt it. It was like a tremor in his frill. He knew that the egg was preparing. He ran, knowing every dragon was staring at him. He burst through the forest, and searched for the clearing. He stumbled into it, and looked up at the egg. It was sparkling in the moonlight which managed to reach down the branches. The moons, all three full for the first time in thousands of years, shown down onto the egg, and the leaves made it look like a star. Spectro down, it's just a trick of the light, the sensible side of him said. But it's a sign! The other countered. The shell sparkled silvery, and where the moonlight touched it was a light and verdant green. Spectro walked slowly towards it. It shook, and almost tipped over. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes. Spectro's wings were a bright orange instantaneously. He stared around, looking for the source. The brush rustled again. "Hello?" Spectro called out, hoping for some answer. Silence. Oh well, it might have been an ocelot or a monkey, he thought and sat down near the egg. It jumped, and the shape of the dragonet inside shown clearly in the light. Spectro watched it calmly, his orange eyes casting an amber glow on the side of the smooth surface. Then he perked his head up. The bush was rustling again. "Come out!" He demanded, walking slowly to the trees that he knew the sound was coming from. Cold dark eyes peered out at him. They looked at Spectro briefly, then looked over at the egg. The star of moonlight was still on it. "The eggs born on the brightest night," The figure whispered. Spectro looked at him, tail lashing. "Umm... Who are you?" He demanded. Suddenly, the figure leaped. His tail whacked Spectro in the side of his face and the rainwing collapsed. Before he blacked out he saw the dragon bound across the clearing and snatch the egg. "No.." Spectro managed before his vision went dark.

Spectro was dreaming. He knew it. The forest around him was warped and distorted, but he saw vaguely the dragon hold the egg up to the light and fly away. It was a Seawing, he had to guess from the powerful tail and pea green scales. He looked around, for now not feeling sorrow, but he knew it would hit him hard. Then she came. Peacock, glowing slightly, walked in from the brush. It was as if she was really there. No, she's dead. She's dead and she's not coming back, he thought mournfully. "Don't think that," Peacock said, batting her wings slightly to gain height. "Who was that Seawing?" He whimpered, ducking his head. Peacock looked at him with her blue-and-green eyes. "That is someone who needs your egg for something important. A prophecy has come, but due to your time here you might have missed it. They are hatching now, and she needs to be with them." Spectro stared at her, confused. "Don't worry, you will see her again." Peacock rubbed her snout against his wings. Spectro felt a tear leak from his eyes. "I wish you were here," He whispered to the small dragonet. Peacock looked up at him. "I am always here, Spectro." Spectro woke up. He looked around, tail thrashing. The egg was gone. The moons were setting. There were webbed tracks that ran across the clearing. He could feel the dragonet that was in that egg, however. He felt it in his heart. She was hatching now.

"Well, if she has a destiny... There is nothing else I can do then." Spectro looked up at the sky. "Nightwings," he whispered. "I hope you made the right choice."


	22. Epilouge: From Webs' Point-of-View

Webs crashed through the trees, cursing under his breath. He suggested something, and immediately Dune, Asha, and Kestrel send him to do it. Why did he have to do it?

"Three moons above, I hope that none of the Talons of Peace see me here," he muttered, shivering as a long vine tickled his neck. The Seawing shook himself, and resolved to just pick up the nearest egg he could find. The moons would set soon, and if he did not return with the egg, Kestrel would rip his head off. It was bad enough they did not have the Skywing. And rumor from Arya said that the Mudwing was a feisty one, already jumping around. Also, The Seawing was keeping them very busy the amount of times it's egg rolled from the nest.

Focus! Webs scolded himself. He searched around the dark forest. It didn't matter what the Rainwings thought anyway, they didn't even count the eggs. He saw an opening ahead, and thought to search it for eggs. They could be anywhere, for moon's sake.

He stopped at the edge of the clearing, looking around. No one.

He continued on, stepping on sharp spines and hissing in protest. The Seawing kingdom or even the Skywing kingdom was not this bad! You have to look out for everything!

He saw another clearing ahead. When he checked it, there was nothing there except a few silvery flowers growing in the moonlight.

Third time's the charm, Webs thought. He brushed a few hanging vines out of the way, and looked for the next clearing.

This time, it was occupied. A Rainwing, a male no less, was standing close to a large egg. It was silvery, like the flowers Webs had seen farther back. However, on the top there was a light yet rich green star shaped pattern on the top. The Seawing shifted his weight, and the Rainwing stopped.

He seemed to be almost fully grey, except for a section on his wings. Even the wings looked torn up, like a wild boar attacked him.

The Rainwing stared into the shadows where Webs was hiding. His orange eyes were vibrant, like the color Kestrel's fire made when she was angry.

His wings were bright orange, similar to his eyes. The color of danger, Webs realized.

The Seawing stopped, standing motionlessly in the prickly bush he was in. A mosquito bit his arm, and he winced. The rustling he made shook the bush, and the Rainwing stared at the spot he was standing.

"Hello?" The grey dragon called. His voice was older sounding than his stature suggested.

Webs stopped, and to his relief the Rainwing turned back to the egg. It was jumping slightly. Just like the dragonets! Webs realized. This egg was hatching soon, if not tonight! This was what he was looking for.

He shifted his weight so he could see it better. He had to be sure.

The Rainwing noticed, and swung back around.

"Come out!" He shouted, walking towards Webs. Even though the undergrowth was thick, and the trees cast a dark shade, the dragon was almost spot on with his sensing.

Webs stared at him for a minute, his gaze boring into the dragon's orange eyes. Then he looked at the egg. Father, maybe? He thought.

"The eggs born on the brightest night," he muttered, looking up at the sky. If this dragonet was anything like his father, then maybe they had the chance. He certainly had the air of danger around him, like a viper about to strike.

"Ummm... Who are you?" The dragon demanded. He stepped a bit closer, and Webs made his decision. Take the egg.

He launched himself over the small dragon, hitting him in the side of the face with his tail. The dragon immediately crumpled, but his eyes were still open. Still conscience after a hit from a Seawing, impressive, Webs thought and ran over to the egg. He held it up to the light. The dragonet was fully grown, and the shell was thin. Lets get out of here, you have a destiny now. Webs smiled, then looked sadly back at the dragon. His eyes were closed now, and a single teardrop leaked from one of them.

Ah well, it's just a lazy Rainwing. Webs knew that he was definitely more, but he had to comfort himself with lies for now. The egg sparkled in the moonlight, glowing pale purple like a Seawing pearl.

As if it was expecting him.

Well, this is it. Webs flicked open his pea green wings. Now or never.

He lifted off the ground, grasping the egg. The two flew through the moist, cool air.

When he finally landed back in the caves, let in by Dune, the egg was jumping around, and streaks of red were dripping down it's sides. "Is the dragonet bleeding?" The injured Sandwing warrior grumbled. "I wouldn't be surprised, given how stupid Rainwings are."

"But... Um... The egg..." Webs stumbled.

"Shut up," snapped the blood red Skywing. "It's bad enough we lost our Skywing, Icewing, and Mudwing. Now it's just the three of us, and I don't want you, of all dragons, to feel for this Rainwing." Kestrel poked a claw at Webs. Se rustled her overgrown wings, and turned towards the back of the cave systems. "They are hatching," she finally said.

"Then hurry up and get her with them!" By some unknown instinct, maybe because he had eggs at one point, Webs knew the Rainwing was a she.

Dune sighed, picking up the Rainwing egg. It turned deserts yellow under his touch, and shaded back to the pearly luster.

The Mudwing was cracking first, and a brown dragonet emerged from the blood red egg. Kestrel sighed, and left the room. It must be too much for her, since she already had dragonets who were lost to Scarlet.

Suddenly, the Mudwing lunged for the others. Webs screeched as the large dragonet pressed his stubby claws down on the Seawing's deep blue egg. Kestrel caught him, growling under her breath. Somewhere in her eye, however, a flame lit. "Maybe we have a fighter here." When the dragonet managed to struggle out of her grasp and back towards the hatching eggs, that's when Kestrel snapped. She swiped the Mudwing up, and threw him into the shallow stream that trickled nearby.

Webs winced. That had to hurt.

When the others finally started hatching, the Seawing first, then the Nightwing, then the Rainwing, and finally the Sandwing, Webs stared at the Rainwing for a long time. Her scales were a flat grey. No... She's going to be like him... Then she opened her eyes, a bright and vibrant green, and immediately turned the color of the Seawing staring at her.

"What shall we name them?" He asked the others.

"What should I know? Just give them something that fits." Dune growled, but he looked at the tiny Sandwing with a hint of affection. The first time in almost ten years.

"Fine." Kestrel looked at the Seawing, which was flicking it's tail and growling in an almost dangerous sort of way. As dangerous as you can get from a dragonet that just hatched. "Tsunami," She muttered, remembering one fearful day that the land went sodding wet, and most of the Skywing coasts were covered.

"Clay," Dune pointed to the similarity that the Mudwing looked like clay in the river, along the banks.

"Sunny." Kestrel snorted a breath of fire at the Sandwing's suggestion, but did not speak up. After all, the sandwing's scales did suggest the light of the sun.

"Morrowseer already told us this one." Kestrel announced. "Starflight," all of them muttered.

Now the only one left was the Rainwing.

"Well? You brought her." Kestrel tapped an impatient claw on the stone.

"A Rainwing name... A Rainwing name..." Webs whispered, trying to think of something.

"Aren't Rainwing names all glorious and amazing and all that?" Dune muttered. Webs' head stuck to the first one.

"Glory." He looked at the Rainwing, which was now turning vibrant shades of blue, like the shell of the Seawing Tsunami's egg.

"Glory," the other two echoed. Even the Nightwing stuck his head up and attempted to say it.

Webs could only forsee what this Rainwing will have to endure.

This is your destiny... As a backup. He thought. Welcome to the world, Glory. Too bad most of it doesn't want you. He remembered the Rainwing, looking lovingly at the egg, like it was his life. ...expect for one.

The Rainwing looked up at him, her bright green eyes almost glowing in the torch light.

Welcome, Glory.


End file.
